US warships cross the Suez canal to the Gulf

Officials at the Suez canal said that US two warships and a submarine had said through the canal in their way to the Arab Gulf on Wednesday.

The Egyptian official who spoke and asked not to be identified said that the submarine USS Miami, cruiser USS Gettysburg and fast combat support ship USS Detroit had sailed through the canal earlier in the morning.

The officials added that the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise and another warship will also cross the canal by the end of this week.

The US ordered these naval vessels to head to the Arab Gulf following the recent crisis between Iraq and UN weapons inspectors.

The US Pentagon says that some 23,000 US soldiers are deployed in the Gulf. They are backed by 174 warplanes, 21 naval vessels, with nine of them armed with Tomahawk missiles.